Nicholas v. Dils

February 8, 2007

EDWARD J. NICHOLAS, PLAINTIFF,v.ARTHUR DILS, ESQ., DEFENDANT.

The opinion of the court was delivered by: Judge Caputo

MEMORANDUM

I. Background

Plaintiff, Edward J. Nicholas, an inmate at the State Correctional Institution in Albion, Pennsylvania, commenced this action by filing a pro se Civil Rights Complaint under the provisions of 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Plaintiff also filed a Motion for Leave to Proceed in forma pauperis (Doc. 2). The instant Complaint is among a string of civil actions by Plaintiff challenging alleged improprieties in his criminal proceedings in the Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Court of Common Pleas, criminal docket # 3685 of 1997 ("3685 cd 97"). Plaintiff alleges ineffective assistance of criminal defense counsel. He seeks "consideration of disbarrment [of his criminal defense counsel]" (Doc. 1 at 3), together with injunctive and declaratory relief. For the reasons that follow, the Complaint will be dismissed, without prejudice, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g), and the Motion to Proceed in forma pauperis will be denied.

II. Discussion

Under the provisions of 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g), a federal civil action by a prisoner proceeding in forma pauperis is barred if he or she has, on 3 or more prior occasions, while incarcerated or detained in any facility, brought an action or appeal in a court of the United States that was dismissed on the grounds that it is frivolous, malicious, or fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted, unless the prisoner is under imminent danger of serious physical injury. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g).

Last year, Plaintiff filed three (3) civil rights actions which were dismissed by this Court on ground that they were frivolous. See Nicholas v. Evans, Civil No. 4:06-CV-1414 (M.D. Pa. Aug. 21, 2006) (Jones, J.); Nicholas v. Evans, Civil No. 4:06-CV-1478 (M.D. Pa. Aug. 21, 2006) (Jones, J.); Nicholas v. Evans, Civil No. 4:06-CV-1541 (M.D. Pa. Oct. 3, 2006) (Caputo, J.). All of these cases were commenced by Plaintiff while he was incarcerated. Plaintiff's instant allegations relate to claims of impropriety in his preliminary hearing, trial, conviction, and sentence in 3685 cd 97. There is no allegation or indication that this inmate is in danger of imminent serious physical injury. Thus, the above-captioned action is barred, and it will be dismissed under § 1915(g). An appropriate Order follows.

ORDER

AND NOW, THIS 8th DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2007, in accordance with the foregoing Memorandum,

4. Any appeal taken from this Order will be deemed frivolous, without probable cause, and not taken in good faith. ...

Our website includes the first part of the main text of the court's opinion.
To read the entire case, you must purchase the decision for download. With purchase,
you also receive any available docket numbers, case citations or footnotes, dissents
and concurrences that accompany the decision.
Docket numbers and/or citations allow you to research a case further or to use a case in a
legal proceeding. Footnotes (if any) include details of the court's decision. If the document contains a simple affirmation or denial without discussion,
there may not be additional text.

Buy This Entire Record For
$7.95

Download the entire decision to receive the complete text, official citation,
docket number, dissents and concurrences, and footnotes for this case.